Your Very Next Step newsletter for November 2012

Your Very Next Step newsletter for November 2012
By Ned Lundquist
www.yourverynextstep.com
“The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”

– Vincent Van Gogh

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
– Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.

Today, the amount of time kids spend outside is alarmingly low–only minutes per day–while screen time is at an all-time high (upwards of seven hours). NWF has set a new goal to stem the tide and move kids back outdoors. Our three-year goal is to get 10 million more American children out of the indoor habitat and into the great outdoors. This goal propels us toward a future when all kids spend time outside each day, creating a generation of happier, healthier children with more awareness and connection to the natural world. Visit www.nwf.org/10MillionKids

*** I’m in Qatar. So, what to see?

Uma Thangaraj suggested the Souq Waqif, as recommended by Lonely Planet. Alas, it was too far to walk from my hotel by the airport (not that I didn’t try).

Ever flown into Switzerland’s Zurich Airport? You step off the plane and the soaring windows fill only with the expanse of blue sky all around. Then you step into the terminal transfer train and, in the darkness, there’s the sound of cows mooing, cow bells clanking and alpine horns tooting from the speakers.

The first bit of the video below instantly brought us back to that moment at Zurich Airport, as it also features that typical Swiss soundtrack…before jumping into a rhythm to compliment the stupendous vistas in the time-lapse.

This video. named “Helvetia’s Dream,” comes from Swiss photographer Alessandro Della Bella and is an ode to his homeland and the landscape in which he grew up. He obviously headed to the top of a few mountains for the shots, but we’re here to tell you that you can as well, and easily.

Only 10 miles from the famed Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo., fittingly lies Grant’s Trail. Like the arch, which was built as a monument to westward expansion, the trail follows a former rail line that set out with an ambitious goal to reach all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Even though the tracks never made it that far, the trail has preserved much of the corridor’s pioneering history and spirit.

While only eight miles long, the pathway has a lengthy list of unique sights, including Grant’s Farm, named for the 18th president and Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant, who farmed in the area in the 1850s and hand-built the four-room log cabin called “Hardscrabble” that now sits on the property. Today, Grant’s Farm—the former estate of the Busch family of Anheuser-Busch brewing company fame—is an animal park featuring bison, elephants, camels, peacocks and more than 100 other species, including its most iconic residents, the Budweiser Clydesdales.

White Haven, another home owned by Grant, can be found on the other side of the trail across from Grant’s Farm. Before it belonged to Grant, White Haven was a slave plantation of the Dent family. That’s where Grant met his future wife, Julia Dent, and they later lived at the home for several years before the Civil War. The National Park Service now operates the historical site.

While at White Haven, Grant approved construction of the Pacific Railroad (later known as the Missouri Pacific Railroad) through his property. Ground was broken for the railway in 1851, and it was billed at the time as “The First Railroad West of the Mississippi.” Grant’s Trail is built on the former Kirkwood-Carondelet Branch of the rail line.

The town of Kirkwood, where Grant’s Trail now ends, was a planned community, established as soon as the railroad tracks reached it in 1853. It was named for the railroad’s chief engineer, James Pugh Kirkwood, and remnants of its historical roots can be seen in the town’s mid-to-late 19th century buildings, including the refurbished 1893 depot still in use today as an Amtrak train station.

An on-street connection, part of the Great Rivers Greenways’ Bike St. Louis project, takes travelers from the trailhead to downtown Kirkwood and the historical depot. In an effort to make the city more bicycle friendly, more than 80 miles of these signed on-street Bike St. Louis routes are available throughout the city.

By 1990, Missouri Pacific had ended service along its Kirkwood-Carondolet line, and the following year Trailnet purchased the rail corridor. Working with the St. Louis County Parks and Recreation Department (which currently maintains the trail), Trailnet—an organization that promotes active communities in the St. Louis region—opened the first section of Grant’s Trail, then known as the Carondelet Greenway Trail, in 1994. Great Rivers Greenway later took over the trail’s development and added two more miles (to reach its current length of eight miles) in 2006.

Now, with more than half a million visitors a year, Grant’s Trail has become an important recreational and regional connector. Part of this popularity is due to its easy access; the trail runs through several neighborhoods, often just behind people’s backyards. Other sections are more wooded with views of ponds, wetlands and Gravois Creek, which it parallels.

“Grant’s Trail is a rallying point. People have a sense of pride about it,” says Carey Bundy, project manager for the Great Rivers Greenway. “The trail stretches along five or six jurisdictions, and they all come together for this trail.”

Plans to extend the trail further are continuing. Nestled between the Meramec River to the west and the River des Peres to the east, Grant’s Trail plays an increasingly key link in the River Ring, a growing 600-mile network of interconnected trails and on-street bicycle routes throughout the St. Louis region. Presently, more than 100 miles of trail have been built in 17 of 45 planned greenway corridors.

“We’re in the design phase and have a conceptual alignment,” says Bundy of the upcoming Grant’s Trail connection to the River des Peres Greenway. “We’re going to have a public open house this November to get comments from users of the trail. In 2013, we’ll be getting the design finalized and should be able to start construction in 2014.”

The trail currently ends only a mile from the River des Peres Greenway, which, in turn, will one day reach the Mississippi River Greenway, a major component of the River Ring. Connecting all of these greenways is expected to make the trail even more popular.

“Grant’s Trail is very multi-use,” says Kevin Keach, project and operations manager for Trailnet. “You’ll see everything from cyclists to bladers to walkers and baby carriages; the whole gamut of users. Even people who were not for the trail originally, including some who worried that it would bring crime, now call it ‘their trail.'”

Maine Huts & Trails requires volunteers to serve as backcountry hut caretakers during the self-service season.Caretakers live on site in staff quarters at the huts for two to twelve weeks. This is a unique opportunity to live rent-free and off-the-grid, with a recreational playground at your fingertips. Kayaking, canoeing, bicycling, hiking, and camping are all possible from the huts. Room and board are provided. Caretakers welcome and provide information to visitors, and must be attentive to the cleanliness and maintenance of the hut. The caretaker will ideally be an outgoing person who enjoys sustainable living and outdoor recreation and appreciates the Maine outdoors. Dates: November 1 to December 21.

Hut staff at Maine Huts & Trails work together with a small team to deliver backcountry hospitality and create memorable outdoor experiences. Interaction with hut staff is at the heart of the visitor experience.

The hut master oversees daily operations at the hut to assure high standards of customer service. In addition to performing all aspects of the hut crew position, the hut master is responsible for leading and motivating staff and volunteers, creating and implementing daily schedules, performing daily inspections to ensure that all public areas are clean, well maintained, and safe, finding solutions for guest complaints, managing inventories of supplies and merchandise, overseeing routine maintenance of the hut, and overseeing operation of green energy systems. Applicants should be personable, effective problem-solvers capable of maintaining high standards in an isolated environment. This position requires strong leadership skills and supervisory experience in a related work environment.

The winter season runs from December to April. Priority will be given to qualified candidates able to work the full season. On-site accommodation and food are provided for all positions. The standard schedule is 10 days on / 4 days off.

Applications are accepted at any time. Applicants should submit a completed application by email to employment@mainehuts.org, by fax to (207) 265-2209 or by mail to 375 Main St, Kingfield, Maine 04947.

The Deschutes Forest Conservation Association is a new organization created by Discover Your Northwest and the Deschutes National Forest. Based in Bend, OR DFCA is a subsidiary (dba) of Discover Your Northwest, a 503 (c)(3) non-profit organization which partners with public land agencies throughout the Northwest.

DFCA was created to further these goals:

1. Provide visitor service, interpretive programs and events to increase the number and diversity of visitors to Deschutes National Forest.

2. Increase funding to enhance the quality of the visitor’s experience.

3. Deepen the personal commitment and involvement of the local community through volunteerism.

4. Engage youth to reach the next generation of stewards through conservation education and career pathway programs.

COLORADO TROUT UNLIMITED, a leading river conservation organization, seeks full-time Outreach Coordinator to strengthen and engage local TU chapters, grasstops and grassroots on issue campaigns. Email letter and resume by November 21 to dnickum@tu.org.

Located 30 miles north of San Francisco, The Point Reyes National Seashore, 71,000 acres of forest, grassland, beaches, and protected bays, includes over 33,000 acres of dramatic coastline protected as wilderness. The Seashore is unique in providing wilderness so close to a major urban center.

The Point Reyes National Seashore Association (PRNSA) was founded in 1964 as a Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are the Cooperating Association for the National Seashore, supporting its efforts to protect endangered species, preserve and restore native habitat, and conserve cultural and historic legacies. Our mission is to encourage stewardship of the Seashore’s diverse resources through a variety of environmental education opportunities for all ages, especially those who otherwise might never have a wilderness experience. Our slogan is Explore Discover Connect.

Executive Director

PRNSA seeks an Executive Director with an outstanding track record in leadership and fundraising to extend our relationship with the National Park Service, build a strong relationship with staff and the Board, and manage a budget of at least $1M. The successful candidate will have a deep appreciation of both the Seashore and the National Park Service.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Executive Director will perform the following and other duties as assigned:

•Leadership: Provide dynamic leadership for the PRNSA mission, strategy, core program areas, and operating departments according to policies set by the Board of Directors.

•Fundraising and Revenue Generation: Be the leader, working with the Seashore, our Board, and our Development Director to significantly increase fundraising revenue, effectively and enthusiastically communicate the case for supporting PRNSA’s programs and projects, identify new earned revenue sources, and ensure sufficient financial and staff resources are available to carry out the mission and goals identified in our strategic plan. A significant portion of the Executive Director’s time will be devoted to fundraising activities.

•Enhance Partnership with NPS: Build on the existing strong relationship with the NPS by meeting regularly with the Park Superintendent and senior staff to coordinate programs, solve problems, and design new initiatives, dedicating significant time as necessary to supporting and enhancing this relationship.

•Direct and Expand Core Programs: Work with our existing very capable staff to support and strengthen the Nature Science and Adventure camps, School Science Camp, Field Institute, book stores, and special park projects; collaborate with staff to identify and implement best practices and to evaluate outcomes; investigate and analyze opportunities to make our programs available to new constituencies.

•Sustain productive and mutually supportive relationship with Board of Directors: Provide the Board with all information and other resources available to conduct their work; promptly inform them of all issues and opportunities that may affect PRNSA; recommend appropriate courses of action; lead the strategic planning process.

•Staff Leadership: Lead and collaborate with a staff of nine, five of whom report directly to the Executive Director, while preserving the culture of mutual respect, individual initiative, collegiality, and diversity.

•Understanding of relationships between NPS and Cooperating Associations

•Familiarity with Point Reyes area and adjacent communities

Compensation and Benefits

PRNSA offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience. Benefits include vacation and sick leave, Flexible Healthcare Spending Account, and 403(b) match. This position is located in Point Reyes Station, CA, thirty miles north of San Francisco.

To Apply

To be considered for this position, interested candidates must click “Apply” above to submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements. CEA Recruiting is assisting PRNSA with this search. Please direct all applications to CEA Recruiting. This position will remain open until filled.

The resume should include educational and work history, and references to articles or other publications, if any, authored by the applicant. The cover letter should succinctly describe the applicant’s goals, suitability for the position, salary requirements and other pertinent facts that may not appear in the resume. Principals only. No phone calls please. For more information about PRNSA, please go to www.ptreyes.org.

Point Reyes National Seashore Association is an equal opportunity employer.

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies. For more information, visit www.cearecruiting.com.

Our interns roll up their sleeves to research critical environmental issues, craft press releases, author editorials and pitch both bloggers and traditional journalists. Students looking to burnish their public relations, writing and journalism skills will find our communications department to be a fast-paced, high-energy place where they can learn about the environmental community and how The Wilderness Society works to protect the country’s most important public lands and natural resources.

To apply, mail or email a resume, writing sample, and cover letter to:

The Wilderness Society recognizes the importance of nurturing a new generation of individuals who have a commitment to environmental causes and a passion for wilderness preservation. Our Internship Program is designed with that in mind. It provides rich, challenging learning opportunity for college students to work with professionals in The Society and contribute their talents and ideas to a variety of programs. The program allows interns to expand their knowledge of environmental issues, apply academic knowledge in a real life situation, and learn new skills, which will enhance future career options.

The Wilderness Society is currently seeking a communications intern (unpaid / school credit) in our Denver, CO office to support the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Action Center.

The Wilderness Society offers communications interns hands-on opportunities to strategize with policy staff, influence public opinion and protect America’s wild places. Our interns roll up their sleeves to research critical environmental issues, craft press releases, prepare multimedia material for the web, author editorials and pitch both bloggers and traditional journalists. Students looking to burnish their public relations, writing and journalism skills will find our communications department to be a fast-paced, high-energy place where they can learn about the environmental community and how The Wilderness Society works to protect the country’s most important public lands and natural resources.

About the position

•This position is unpaid, but qualifies for school credit.

•This position is open for fall of 2012.

•Student is expected to commit to 20-25 hours per week.

•Student is expected to complete those hours within traditional work hours and will be provided desk space in The Wilderness Society’s office.

How to apply

To apply, mail or email a resume, writing sample, and cover letter to: